Dick Batchelor Archives | 91Թ News Central Florida Research, Arts, Technology, Student Life and College News, Stories and More Mon, 08 Jul 2019 18:54:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 /wp-content/blogs.dir/20/files/2019/05/cropped-logo-150x150.png Dick Batchelor Archives | 91Թ News 32 32 Magazine Names 91Թ Leaders, Alumni to Orlando’s Most-Powerful List /news/magazine-names-ucf-leaders-alumni-orlandos-powerful-list/ Fri, 27 Jun 2014 17:31:52 +0000 /news/?p=60062 Five 91Թ leaders and several alumni were named this week to Orlando magazine’s 2014 list of the region’s 50 most powerful people.

The 11th annual list in the magazine’s July edition represents the region’s political leaders, educators, business owners, tourism officials and others who lead and inspire.

91Թ President John C. Hitt earned the No. 4 ranking. The top three names on the list are Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, attorney and businessman John Morgan, and Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs.

Hitt, 91Թ’s president since 1992, leads the nation’s second-largest university with nearly 60,000 students. The magazine praised the development of high-tech and research areas at 91Թ, as well as the creation of the Blackstone LaunchPad to help students develop entrepreneurial ideas into successful businesses.

Others with 91Թ roles who were named to the list are:

  • No. 6 – Harris Rosen, hotelier and businessman. 91Թ’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management was developed in large part because Rosen donated the initial $18 million in money and land to jump-start the campus that opened in 2004. Rosen also is a former member of the 91Թ Board of Trustees.
  • No. 7 – Alex Martins, CEO of the Orlando Magic. Martins joined the 91Թ Board of Trustees in November. Martins earned an MBA from 91Թ in 2001. He is a member of the College of Business Administration’s Hall of Fame and serves on the Dean’s Executive Council for the college.
  • No. 25 – Dr. Deborah German, 91Թ vice president for medical affairs and founding dean of the College of Medicine. 91Թ’s medical school opened in 2009 and graduated its second class this spring. Under German’s leadership, the college has begun a new internal medicine residency program in partnership with Orlando VA Medical Center and Osceola Regional Medical Center.
  • No. 30 – Marcos Marchena, attorney, general counsel for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. Marchena is a member of the 91Թ Board of Trustees and the 91Թ Foundation, and the university awarded him with its 2013 Service to 91Թ Award.
  • No. 31 – Jim Atchison, CEO and president of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. Atchison also is a member of 91Թ’s Board of Trustees.

    • In addition to Martins, Marchena (College of Sciences, 91Թ Class of 1982) and Atchison (College of Business Administration, ‘92), there are five other 91Թ alumni on the top-50 list:

  • No. 8 – George A. Kalogridis, Sciences, ’76, president of Walt Disney World Resort.
  • No. 10 – Barbara Jenkins, Education, ’83,  ’86 and ’96, Orange County School Superintendent.
  • No. 20 – Rasesh H. Thakkar, Business Administration, ’84, senior managing director of Tavistock Group.
  • No. 43 – Dick J. Batchelor, Sciences, ’71, business and political consultant, and advocate for children’s causes.
  • No. 47 – Patty Sheehan, Art, ’87, Orlando city commissioner.

    • A separate list in the Orlando article includes 12 people to watch in the coming years, including these 91Թ graduates:

  • Chris Castro, Environmental Studies, ’10, self-described “ecowarrior” who also advises Orlando on improving energy efficiency.
  • Joe Kilsheimer, Communication and History, ’79, longtime public relations consultant and new Apopka mayor.

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    ]]>         Students to Debate Immigration Reform /news/students-to-debate-immigration-reform/ Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:48:10 +0000 /news/?p=47385 The hot national topic of immigration reform comes to 91Թ on Tuesday night, March 26, when members of the 91Թ Moot Court team and the Legal Studies program debate the topic on a live radio broadcast.

    Orlando’s WDBO FM will broadcast the debate from 7 to 8 p.m. from the Morgridge International Reading Center on the main campus. The debate is free and open to the public.

    Mel Robbins, a trial lawyer and national radio news commentator, will moderate the student debate, and Dick Batchelor, founder of the Dick Batchelor Management Group and a former member of the Florida House of Representatives, will join the discussion panel. Michael Frumkin, dean of 91Թ’s College of Health and Public Affairs, will provide the opening remarks.

    The students speaking on the side of limited reform are: Kyle Ross, Todd Foster, Jack Flanary and Jessica Sirianni. Arguing for more reform are: Taylor Koshak, Chris Chambers, Brittany Hollenbacher and Justine Poteau.

    “We appreciate the opportunity to explore important topics with the students and with the community,” Frumkin said. 

    The debate will be broadcast on FM 96.5.

     

     

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